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Leoman
Leoman of the Flails was a captain in the Raraku ApocalypseDeadhouse Gates, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p.19 and bodyguard of Sha'ik. He was thirty years old and described as lean and dark-skinned, with startling light blue eyes.House of Chains, Chapter 4, US SFBC p.206 He carried two one-handed morning stars thrust through his belt as well as a crossbow. He wore a colourless Telaba scarf over a peaked iron helm.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 5, US HC p.134 Heboric and Sha'ik both described him as a pragmatist and not fanatical in his support of the Whirlwind.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 15, US HC p.409Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 18, US HC p.481 His lieutenant, Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas, was one of his closest friends and confidants during the Whirlwind.House of Chains, Chapter 18 In Deadhouse Gates Leoman and Toblakai accompanied Sha'ik into the desert to receive the Book of Dryjhna from Mebra's agent, Kalam Mekhar. After the Bridgeburner assassin departed, Sha'ik prepared to open the book to unleash the Whirlwind, but was assassinated by a Red Blade crossbow. The two bodyguards drove off the attackers and remained with Sha'ik's body.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 5, US HC p.134-136 They guarded the corpse and the book for weeks, gaunt and dazed from hunger, until the arrival of Felisin Paran and Heboric. Leoman named the girl Sha'ik Reborn and led her to the Whirlwind camp at the Raraku oasis.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 14, US HC p.383-385Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 18 In House of Chains Preceding the events of Deadhouse Gates, Leoman was in a Malazan prison in Ehrlitan after being betrayed by an unidentified compatriot. He was placed in the same cell as Karsa Orlong and the two formed a pact to aid each other. When Torvald Nom broke into the prison to rescue Karsa, he freed Leoman as well. Leoman helped Karsa escape the city, but they were given up by the spy Mebra and followed by Malazan horsemen into the desert.House of Chains, Chapter 4, US SFBC p.204-219 Together, Leoman and Karsa headed to Raraku in search of Sha'ik. They found her and the two joined her army, Karsa spending most of his time in a glade building statues while Leoman spent most of his time ensconced in the fumes of Durhang.House of Chains, Chapter 7 Later, after the Whirlwind's victory over Coltaine and Pormqual's forces at Aren, Sha'ik Reborn withdrew the Army of the Apocalypse back to Raraku. Leoman chafed at allowing Adjunct Tavore Paran's Malaz 14th Army to advance unmolested towards the Holy Desert. He convinced Sha'ik to allow him to lead 1,500 desert warriors on a scouting mission of the enemy's disposition. Leoman took Corabb with him and had no intentions of honouring his promise not to engage the Malazans.House of Chains, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.479-480 ] Leoman's forces executed a number of brutal and well planned guerrilla attacks on the advancing 14th Army. In one such attack, his warriors burned at least a dozen supply wagons to the ground using flaming oil bolas.House of Chains, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.615 In another, he lured three hundred hot-blooded Seti cavalry into an ambush in a gorge where all were killed.House of Chains, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.621-622 Adjunct Tavore responded by planning an ambush of her own. Several squads of Malazan Marines camouflaged themselves under the desert sand in advance of the Malazan defensive positions. Once Leoman's warriors attacked, the Marines revealed themselves, attacking Leoman from behind with Moranth munitions.House of Chains, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.635-646 By the time the 14th Army reached Raraku, Leoman only had 700 warriors left in his command.House of Chains, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.705 At the Battle of Raraku, Leoman fully expected to remain an observer with Mathok and his desert tribes while Korbolo Dom's Dogslayers fought the Malazans.House of Chains, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.706 But Dom turned on Sha'ik, sending his assassins against her High Mages and allies. Sha'ik summoned Leoman to take command of the army from Korbolo Dom, but Leoman knew it was too late to greatly amend Dom's strategy.House of Chains, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.769House of Chains, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.804 Mathok fled the oasis to take the Book of Dryjhna to safety, leaving Leoman with command of his remaining nine thousand desert warriors.House of Chains, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.803-804 Overnight, Korbolo Dom's Dogslayers were slain by the ghosts of Raraku. Leoman remained confidant the Malazans could still be beaten, but not at that time and place. Before he could convince Sha'ik to withdrew, she challenged Adjunct Tavore to single combat and was slain. As Sha'ik fell, Leoman ordered his troops to scatter and flee for Y'Ghatan.House of Chains, Chapter 26, US SFBC p.819-820/827-829 In The Bonehunters Leoman and Corabb escaped to the city of Y'Ghatan while fleeing the Bonehunters. There, he met Whiskeyjack's sister, Dunsparrow, and the two fell in love. Before the pursuing Malazan army laid siege to the city's walls, Leoman made a deal with the goddess, Triss, the Queen of Dreams, that allowed for him and Dunsparrow to escape to safety. In so doing, he abandoned his men and betrayed Corabb's trust, ending their friendship. In Stonewielder Leoman reappeared under the assumed name of "Jheval", now with a long, black moustache and describing himself not so much "good at killing", but rather "good at surviving". His weapons of choice were two morningstars which he wore on each hip. An agent of the Queen of Dreams, he was tasked with accompanying Kiska on her search for Tayschrenn, who had disappeared through a Chaos rent during the Battle of the Plains.Stonewielder, Chapter 2, UK TPB p.117Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 3, UK PB p.657 The pair followed the trail into Shadow where they were hunted by Hounds of Shadow before being joined by Warran, a Shadow priest. Their path took them to the site of a Chaos Whirl, where they discovered a Tiste Liosan encampment as well as Leoman's old acquaintance L'oric. L'oric revealed Jheval's true identity to a stunned Kiska and ordered the trio imprisoned.Stonewielder, Chapter 10, UK TPB p.522-523 After Leoman and Kiska escaped they passed into the Whorl where they met Yathengar the insane Seven Cities mage who had created the it. Leoman humoured the mage and his plans for a new rebellion against the Malazans long enough for he and Kiska to pass through the Whorl.Stonewielder, Chapter 11, UK TPB p.546-549 They found themselves on a strange beach that Leoman coined the Shores of Creation. Tayschrenn was nowhere to be found, but Leoman was satisfied to be in a place out of reach of his enemies and finally free of fear.Stonewielder, Epilogue, UK TPB p.628 In Orb Sceptre Throne Leoman continued the search for Tayschrenn with Kiska, finding the High Mage in a different state than he was before (with the memories of his past life forgotten), on the Shores of Creation. After several adventures with daemon-like creatures and a powerful being called Korus,Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 4 who opposed their presence on the Shores, Kiska was finally able to bring back Tayschrenn's memories. When Kiska and Tayschrenn decided to head back for the real world, Leoman opted to stay behind and spend some time in peace without the fear of being hunted by anyone.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 16 He joined Maker on the Shores of Creation and spent his time telling anecdotes from his life, especially the women he had been with, something Maker enjoyed a lot. Kiska later returned to make sure Leoman was still content.Orb Sceptre Throne, Epilogue History Leoman had been a foundling of Y'Ghatan before the Malazan conquest and per Y'Ghanni custom was raised within the Temple of Scalissara. There he was taught the ways of the Cold Dream, a ritual celebrating a kind of divided spirit, and the war between desire and necessity within a mortal's spirit. After a few years of guidance under the temple's priestesses, his wild indulgences led to his expulsion into the streets. From there he left for the Odhans to live among the desert tribes. Only wine and durhang could induce Leoman to loosen his tongue and speak of his youth.The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.224-225 Notes and references de:Leoman Category:Males Category:Seven Cities natives Category:Humans